


Neither of Us Will Be Missed

by Rainbow_Transform



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: A bit of worldbuilding somewhere, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clay | Dream Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Family, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Minecraft Manhunt, but make it different, just take a glance around
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:02:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29637819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Transform/pseuds/Rainbow_Transform
Summary: But Dream got the compass.He stole Fang’s compass.And Fang’s alone, right now, so he can’t find Dream and if Dream doesn’t move, or make any sound he’d never find him. Fang clicks his tongue, and snarls.“When I find you,” he promises. “I’m taking the compass back.”“Or next Jump,” Cat says and Dream hears a quiet thump as he jumps down and peers around.
Relationships: Cara | CaptainPuffy & Clay | Dream, Clay | Dream & Foolish Gamers (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Niki | Nihachu, Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Dream & badboyhalo
Comments: 17
Kudos: 101





	Neither of Us Will Be Missed

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! You know where this is going right?! Yeah! 
> 
> It's Manhunt and SMP switch places! Boo-yah! ;)

Dream’s fingers twitch, and he grabs the final Ender Eye, examining it. He places it into the portal, hears the age old sound of a large door finally opening, and he takes a deep breath.  _ They’re somewhere else, _ he thinks. His hunters are trapped somewhere else, they won’t be here until the dragon’s dead. (And then they’d Jump back to the beginning, to the not-dead dragon and the Hunters ready for another year of pursuit and tricks and they only grow  _ smarter _ ). 

(Dream doesn’t know why they’re all trapped in an endless cycle, but they killed him a few times, and he’d killed them, and he’d beaten the Dragon before. It never stopped, it always Jumped, and Dream  _ never stopped running. _ And they never stopped chasing.)

But Dream takes a deep breath, and then jumps into the Portal.

* * *

“Who’s Tommy?” A man in a pig mask asks him, and Dream’s immediate response is to back up just a few steps. He bumps into a cabinet, and hears a harsh breath and a finger (maybe) touching the back of his arms before Pig Mask⸺before  _ Techno _ ⸺takes a step forward. “Oh, that guy⸺”

Dream pulls out his axe and holds it up to Techno. “Who the fuck’s Tommy?” Dream asks, feeling dumb as Techno’s own expression changes into a  _ look. _

_ What the fuck are you talking about, Dream, _ he’s asking. Dream doesn’t respond with one of his own, instead opting to look around while keeping Techno in sight. There’s an Enderman sitting in a boat, there’s a cabinet behind Dream with someone inside it. There’s particles all around them and there’s deep gasps coming from that area, (invisibility); there’s chests next to the Enderman, Techno’s in front of Dream, and there’s windows all around him with two doors next to Techno. 

Dream holds the axe tighter, acknowledges how Techno doesn’t take his eyes off Dream’s hands and then. Just the slightest flicker to the cabinet behind him, Techno lunged forward and Dream  _ bolts. _

He manages to snag Techno’s cape, blue instead of his signature red, on his axe and Dream kicks open the doors and runs into the forest.

* * *

Dream covers his tracks, swipes snow over his footprints and makes new, fresher ones going in tons of directions. He breaks twigs, and branches, overturns rocks and tries to pretend to rush through something. It’ll make it more believable, but it won’t hold Techno for long. When it’s done, Dream climbs into a tree and examines the inventory that’s been given to him. 

A stack and a half of steak, Netherite armor, Netherite  _ weapons _ , some wood, sticks, half a stack of bread. Some iron, Enderpearls, no blaze powder, but Dream’s been given worse. He’s got a water bucket, too. And Techno’s cape, which he think he needs to put on a branch somewhere else. So, all he’s got to do is find a lava pool, and he’d be good enough for the Nether. This Hunter must be Techno ( _ but how? _ ) instead of his Normal ones. Dream has to be extra cautious about this. Even if the Jump resets, Dream still can get hurt, injured, and killed. 

Dream makes a little place for himself in the trees, splits half of a loaf and eats it quickly. He wraps up his arm, bleeding from the fight earlier. Dream watches as the moon rises, and knows that when dawn breaks tomorrow, he’ll be up and ready to go.

_ Nether tomorrow, find blaze rods, make Ender Eyes, find the End Portal, fight the Dragon. _

It’s a plan. It’s a plan, and it’s Dream’s plan, but he knows that there’s going to be hiccups along the way. Techno won’t let himself go down this easy, nor will he ever actually let Dream go. Techno doesn’t rest easy, and Dream knows that the whispers of  _ Technoblade never dies _ aren’t just whispers. 

Dream sets himself, takes a deep breath and settles down. He can go to sleep, can’t he? He’s safe for right now. 

_ (But Techno’s looking, Dream. You aren’t safe here.) _

Dream climbs higher in the tree.

* * *

_ “ Where are you?” Fangs calls. “Come on, Mask. We’re not playing anymore.” _

_ Dream holds his breath, refuses to move from his spot in the wall. The compass Fang keeps around his neck with string sticks on Dream’s skin. They’ve all got a Compass, and some of them keep it close to them (Flame keeps his in a gold chain, in the same place as Fang, while Cat and Bow keep theirs in their backpacks. They’re all back-ups, after all.) _

_ But Dream got the compass.  _ **_He stole Fang’s compass._ ** _ And Fang’s alone, right now, so he can’t find Dream and if Dream doesn’t move, or make any sound he’d never find him. Fang clicks his tongue, and snarls.  _

_ “When I find you,” he promises. “I’m taking the compass back.” _

_ “Or next Jump,” Cat says and Dream hears a quiet thump as he jumps down and peers around.  _

_ “Hey,” Fang says. “Do you mind if I borrow your compass?” _

_ “I left mine at the Base,” Cat said. “George is brewing a bunch of potions, though. I guarantee if we go back right now, he’ll be done with them. We can come back and find him then.” _

_ Fang hums. “I think he’ll be long gone by then.” _

_ “But we’ll still have three more Compasses. And we’ll get yours back.” _

_ Fang sighs. “Of course,” he says. “Where else is he going to go where we can’t follow?” _

_ “That’s the Spirit,” Cat says.  _

_ They walk away, and Dream breathes a sigh of relief. _

* * *

Dream wakes up an hour into the sunrise, and he bolts upward. There’s nothing there, just some clean fresh snow and Dream shivers. His hoodie’s designed to keep him warm in some rough temperatures but not in extreme cold like the fucking  _ Arctic _ . On the bright side with the snow, his old tracks are now covered and Dream can go about running through the trees. 

Dream moves quickly, he slides down onto a lower branch and jumps to the other trees. He weighs skipping breakfast (the other half of the bread) before his hunger gets the better of him. He’s been doing Jumps since he was sixteen, and he has done his fair share of skipping plenty of meals and fainting (and, by result, failing the Jump) so he’s already decided to  _ not _ do that. 

He eats the bread as he goes, and almost misses the branch. But he scrambled to grab a hold to the tree’s trunk with his (freezing) fingers, and he almost snarled. But Dream’s also learned when to be quiet and when to be bold. He holds onto Netherite things and (no doubt) Techno’s got them, too. The Jump’s all about being fair, and Dream with Netherite, even against Techno, is not  _ fair. _

Dream rights himself on the tree and takes a quick glance around again. Some snow is shaken off the trees where Dream had landed, but he shakes it off. By the time Techno comes looking in this area, Dream will already be far far away in the Nether. 

Dream folds his fingers into his armpit, trying to think for just a moment. While his fingers warm up again, he’s already planned for three encounters, two deaths, and a reset. 

He doesn’t want to walk through the snow, but with how the forest is growing thin, there’s no choice. He slips down, lands with a crunch sound and Dream stands. The snow’s basically covering his lower body right now and he tries to wipe it off before it melts into his jeans.

Dream takes off Techno’s cape and throws it over a high branch. That’ll at least confuse him for a second, if Techno’s smart (which he is) then Dream just bought himself about thirty seconds of escape time. 

He sets off to find a lava pool, or a warmer climate  _ at least. _ Dream climbs over some hills, checking for a flash of pink or a glint of  _ something _ before he continues onward. But there’s nothing except the endless Arctic and some blue dye that’s been scattered around. He’s brushing the snow off his shoulders, when he notices the purplish glint of a Portal just a couple paces away from him. 

_ Nether, _ Dream thinks. He’s got to find the Fortress, get some blaze rods and then get  _ back _ to the same portal, in the same freakin’ Arctic. (But he can bring some lava with him, right? To keep him warm? It worked last time, when Bow and Flame were the only ones who were chasing him. 

Dream steps through the Portal, hoping that the bucket of water won’t evaporate in his pack, and he goes from a freezing temperature, to overwhelming heat

* * *

He’s on a pathway, snaking its way  _ toward _ something else, and Dream’s instantly wary. He’s shifting, ready to jump off the side of the pathway before he notices the huge lava pool that’s below him. 

“Okay,” he mutters. “Then I guess we’re following the path.” He holds onto the compass around his neck and darts forward. 

There’s a bunch of cobblestone and a wood bridge that’s just… it’ll burn too easy, Dream notes. But it also might help to keep Hunters off Dream’s trail. Dream pushes his way through and there’s another portal sitting right in the middle of this huge place. There’s a chest a couple steps away which Dream riffles through and ultimately thinks that it’s useless. 

And he looks at the portal, sticks a hand through it and then takes it back. He  _ really _ should go find the Nether Fortress. But, the portal’s also ticking his curiosity and Puffy always told Dream that he’s never satisfied. 

And if this portal takes him to a different one, then he won’t have to go back to the Arctic! 

So, he steps through.

* * *

_ Niki laughs and runs her fingers through Dream’s hair. “You’re just full of questions today, aren’t you duckling?” _

_ Dream nods, and points at the bowl she’d been mixing. “What’s in it?” He questions again and Niki laughs. She’s almost twenty-one years old, and Mom and her have been together for almost a year now.  _

_ “Oh, it’s just something really quick that I’m making.” Niki says, smiling. “Some jelly tarts, maybe a pie later on. Want to help?” _

_ Dream nods eagerly, and there’s a brief moment of: what am I meant to do? Before Niki gives him a bowl and a whisk and shows him how to mix the ingredients without making a mess of himself and the kitchen.  _

_ When Mom comes home from Foolish’s doctor appointment, there’s cooling pastries in the kitchen and two sleeping people on the couch. _

* * *

He’s standing on a town. That’s the only way he can explain it, and he’s staring across at this huge building. It’s red and stone bricks build on top of the water itself; and Dream takes a quick step forward, eyes dark. He wonders why, exactly, it’s there. 

_ (You can hide there, Dream. For a little bit. Techno won’t know you’re here.) _

And so he breaks into a run, and slides into the house quickly and quietly. He takes a deep breath, and looks through the windows, his mask feeling plain in this colorful world. There’s a huge castle to the left of him, a quartz building to the right and right in front of him looks like a courthouse and another house that’s been abandoned. 

_ (Hide, hide, hide, hide, they’re here. Can’t you hear the heartbeat? Let’s go.) _

Dream takes off, and he hears a quick shout behind him, but it doesn’t matter. He’s got to  _ go, _ and he slides to the left and runs to the castle. It’s big enough for Dream to climb the tops of it and get away from whoever’s calling his name right now. 

The compass burns hot on Dream’s skin.

* * *

_ “Mom.” Dream says, lips stiff. “Mom I didn’t do it, okay? Whatever they’re saying, I didn’t do it, Mom. Mom,  _ **_please.”_ ** _ Dream’s sixteen. _

_ He’s scared. He doesn’t know what he’d done to deserve this, but whatever it is, it’s apparently bad enough that a Hunter’s after him. Niki is holding onto Puffy’s hands, and Foolish is crying, he’s reaching for Dream.  _

_ “‘Dream. Dream!” Foolish keeps saying, reaching for him. He wants to be hugged, and Puffy’s holding him back.  _

_ “Duckling,” Puffy says, her eyes wet. “Dream.”  _

_ And his head snaps to meet her eyes. She never calls him Dream. Niki guides Foolish further into the home, all the while he keeps looking back at Dream, and Puffy looks away, swallows, and then remeets her son’s eyes. “Dream,” she says again. “I can’t…. We can’t…” _

_ “Mom,” Dream says again, voice breaking. “Mom, please. I didn’t, Mom.” _

_ “No, Dream.” She says. “You’ve got a Hunter on your back. And with Foolish, we can’t. I’m sorry, duckling.” _

_ And she closes the door, and Dream’s left with a chill right to his very bones. _

_ “Mom,” he whispers. “Puffy…” _

* * *

And that’s the first face he sees once he’s climbed to the top of the castle. Puffy, looking at him with her mouth open, calling his name. His hands shake, and he takes a moment to drink her in. Her hair’s the same as always, and she’s wearing Netherite. That’s weird.

Only Hunters get Netherite. 

_ She’s not a…? _

_ (She is, she is, she is. Stay away from me, stay away from me, stay away from me.) _

He takes a look at the others, too. There’s a boy with bandages all over his arms, a almost-naked guy walking with him, a creeper hybrid  _ (Warden, stay away) _ _ ,  _ and⸺ _ Cat. _

_ (He’s not alone, but he is alone. But everyone else had Netherite except the boy does that mean they’re all Hunters? Is the boy an apprentice?) _

Dream feels a tear roll down his cheek. Puffy’s his mother, sue him. Doesn’t mean he can’t miss her. Why are there so many Hunters? He jerks forward, loses his balance just slightly, and hears the creeper call up a “be careful,” and Dream shrinks back and lets loose a hiss. 

The creeper hisses back and Dream bares his teeth. Cat doesn’t look like he really cares all that much, but he just calls a simple “Don’t fall. Remember what happened last time you tried to climb the castle?”

Dream says nothing back. Cat raised an eyebrow and waits, impatient and taps his foot. “You’re just not gonna say anything?” Cat calls again, and Dream edges toward the edge of the Castle’s back. 

“Dream?” Cat calls again, and Dream snaps his head over. 

“You don’t know my name,” he shouts. “You’ve  _ never _ learned it. How did you find out?”

“Your  _ name?” _ Cat calls. “Why wouldn’t I know it?”

“Duckling?” Puffy calls, looking worried. 

Of course, Dream thinks, glancing back to Puffy. Why wouldn’t he know his name? They’ve got his mother on their side. 

“Dream?” Is that⸺ _ Bow? Flame? _ ⸺“What’re you doing up there?”

Dream swallows. Five Hunters.  _ God, _ he’s really in trouble isn’t he. 

He jumps.

* * *

_ Dream is sixteen, and he’s on his own. He’s got one Hunter on his tail, and he’s killed the Hunter a million times. Dream’s been killed a million times, and he’s killed the Dragon a million times. Each time, it resets him with the Hunter to a different World and Dream doesn’t know why.  _

_ He’s Captain Cara Puffy’s kid. He’s got to survive for his brother, and for his mothers. The crystal in his pocket hums warmly. At night, Dream takes it out and he knows that it honed into his Home World, and he wonders what’ll happen if he takes it home. _

_ The Hunters would find him and his parents, wouldn’t they? They’d hurt his family, just to get to him. And isn’t that ironic? Dream hasn’t hurt anyone.  _

_ He hasn’t. Dream doesn’t know where Wilbur and Tommy went, he doesn’t know how Technoblade managed to escape but he wasn’t involved. He wasn’t.  _

_ Foolish comes to Dream’s mind. His birthday already passed and he’s what? Ten now? Maybe older, but Dream can’t quite remember what age  _ **_he_ ** _ is, let alone his brother. (Age didn’t matter when he was sixteen and on his parents’ doorsteps, with a Hunter closing in on time; age didn’t matter when he was almost seventeen and threw himself off a cliff because that’s better than dying to a Hunter. Age doesn’t matter when you’re on the run.) _

_ But that hasn’t happened yet. Right now, he’s still sixteen running from One Hunter. _

* * *

Dream rolls to a crouch, and takes off again. He’s got Technoblade, Cat, Bow, Flame, Puffy  _ and _ the Warden after him. Dream keeps going, oblivious to his mother’s calls of his name and his nickname. He can't, he  _ won’t  _ go back.  _ This is a trick, _ he thinks to himself and he looks over at the forest that’s beside him and the buildings thats in front of him.

He makes a rash decision, and runs into the woods.

**Author's Note:**

> I really do hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I've got two more (hopefully) coming soon!
> 
> Have a good day, guys! Thank you for reading, commenting, kudoing, and bookmarking. ^.^


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